Shoe-lace clasp.



No. 642,788. Patented l-eb. 6, I900.

A. M. ENGLISH.

SHOE LACE CLASP.

(Application filed Mar. 13, 1899.)

(No Model.)

MM ANALDUMENELEH rNE NORRIS FEYERS ca. PHOYO-LITHO., WASHINGTON, D Q

UNITED STATES ANALDO lll. ENGLISH, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TOADOLF E.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHNSON, OF WAKEFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE-LAC E CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,788, dated February6, 1900.

Application filed March 1 3 1 8 9 9.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANALDO M. ENGLISH, of Boston, county of Suffolk,andState of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Tracing-Clampsfor Shoes, &c., of which the following description, in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on'thedrawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of an improved clamp bywhich to holdshoe and other lacings in place to keep an opening closed.

My improved clamp consists, essentially, of a body and one or moreconnected levers, one or both of said levers having preferably a hole orpassage through which the string or lacing to be held may be threaded orpassed, the strain on the stretched string or lacing in use causing thelever to be turned normally to pinch the string or lacing between itselfand the rim at the back of the body of the clamp, said body concealingsaid lever at the point of connection therewith, the free end of saidlever being slightly bent or curved to better cooperate with the saidrim. When the strain upon the string or lacing is to be released, it isonly necessary to grasp the body of the clamp between the thumb andforefinger and move it outwardly away from the object upon which it isseated, such movement of the body instantly putting the clamp into suchposition that the lever no longer bites the string or lacing betweenitself and the body of the clamp.

My invention may be employed to hold one or both free ends of a stringor lacing.

Figure 1 shows a laced shoe with its string held by myimproved clamp.Fig. 2 is a muchenlarged cross-section of the clamp in the dotted lineFigs. 3, 4, and 5 show enlarged details of the clamp separated. Figs. 6and 7 show modifications of my invention. Fig. 8 shows the clamp shownin Fig. 2, with one of its levers engaged with an end of a string, theopposite lever being entered by the opposite end of the string; and Fig.9 shows a modified form of lever slotted for the entrance of the stringby a lateral movement.

The body of my improved clamp is shown as composed of a shell 0,preferably of metal Serial No. 708,832. (No model.)-

and of any suitable shape, it being herein represented as circ ular inoutline and as having a backwardly-extended rim; but the external shapeof the body is not material, as it might be square, oblong, diamondshape, or of any other shape so long as it forms a base to sustain thelever or levers b b, and substantially conceals the point of junction ofthe lever with the body, leaving the free end of the lever to cooperatewith the rim of the body. Each lever is pivotally mounted substantiallycentrally with relation to the rear side of the body or shell a by orthrough a suitable interior bridge or plate ct, shown as flanged at 0.

terior bridge or plate 0., shown as flanged at 0 said flange beingembraced by the inturned inner edge of the rim or shell a. The baseorplate a has an elongated central opening a and four smaller openings aBetween the base or plate a and the interior of the rim of the shell a.I place a spring-plate 0, (shown detached in Fig. 4,) it having twosprings 0' 0 The levers b b each'have hooks b at one end and at theirother ends a string or lacing opening or passage b and the outer ends ofthese levers are bent or inclined somewhat inwardly (see Fig. 2) towardthe rim of the body, and said ends terminate at or near the rim of thebody to enable said ends to coact with said rim and form aclamping-surface.

These levers, preferably two, have their hooked ends passed through theslot a and the hooked ends are acted upon by the springs c and c andsaid springs normally act to keep the lovers 1) b in the position shownin 0 Fig. 2, the free ends of said levers being borne by the force ofsaid springs against the inturned inner edge or rim of the shell a. Whenthe levers are turned, as they may be,

in the slot a the hooked ends I) enter the 5 openings a and when thesaid levers stand with their faces substantially contiguous then thechange of position of the hooked ends is such that the springs act tokeep the levers in such position; but as soon as the levers are startedfrom their position toward the edge of the shell 11 then the springs actto facilitate the movement of the levers in that direction.

In the modification Fig. 6 I have shown the lever (1, it taking theplace of the lever b, as provided with an elongated opening d, which maybe caught over a hook upon the uppermost hook or lacing-stud e of theshoe A, it having usual eyeleted holes 6 at opposite sides of the frontopening of the shoe, the said eyeleted holes and hooks being engaged tokeep the top of the shoe firmly together about the foot by means of ashoe-string e In the modification Fig. 7 one of the levers, asf, ittaking the place of thelever b,is provided with a series of prongs f,which may be inserted through the eyeleted edge e of the shoe A and thenclenched, thus permanently fastening the clamp upon one-half of theshoe-top. In use it is preferred that each lever have a passage, as 12and the free ends g g of the string 6 are inserted through the holes orpassages in the ends of said levers, the string is drawn tight throughthe eyeletholes and about the lacing-stud and the two ends of the stringor lacing are then passed through the openings 79 and subjected tostrain by an outward pull on the ends of the string, and the stringhaving been drawn sufficiently taut to bring the front of the shoetogether to the proper point, the clamp in the meantime bysuch strainbeing seated against the front of the shoe, the strain on the ends ofthe string is relaxed, leaving the lever free to act and hold the stringor lacing against any backward slipping of the string or lacing inopposition to the strain used to seat the body of the clamp on the shoe.By the strain exerted on the outer ends of the string, said strain beingoutwardly, the ends of the string being separated, the clamp is seatedoperatively, and as soon as the string or lacing is relaxed the leversimmediately act to clamp the string or lacing between themselves and thebody of the clamp, as at the left, Fig. 8. The strain on the string orlacing exerted by the working of the leg or foot in the shoe causes thestring or lacing to be pinched or clamped firmly.

To unloosen the string or lacing to remove a shoe provided with myimproved clamp, the

.wearer has simply to engage the body a of the clamp between the thumband forefinger and lift it from its seat on the shoe, such movement ofthe body leaving the string entirely free,so that it may render easilythrough the openings in said levers.

It will be noticed that the clamp is not attached to the shoe, but isreadily movable, as may be desired. The body a may be composed of anyusual or suitable metal more or less expensive, and it may be more orless ornamented, according to taste.

In some instances it may be desired to use this clamp with a stringhaving one end exposed, and in such event the clamp may be modified, asrepresented in Fig. 6, leaving a lever (Z with an elongated orproper-shaped opening d to fit over and engage a lacingstud e orequivalent device fixed on the shoe, or, if desired, one of the levers,as f, in Fig. 7, may have a series of prongs f to be inserted throughand clenched into one part of the shoe, it remaining permanentlyattached to the shoe. By inturning the free ends of these levers itbecomes possible by pulling on the free ends of the lacing indirectly-opposite lines to release the pinching or clam ping action ofthe levers on the string or lacing, thus permitting a free rendering ofthe string or lacing through the openings of the levers, which arepivoted one opposite the other.

Prior to my invention I am not aware that a clamp for strings or lacingsof boots and shoes and other articles using strings or lacings was everused composed of a body and a lever, the lever receiving through it andholding in position on the shoe a string or lacing alone, the strain onthe string in use acting to maintain the opening of the shoe closed andkeep the clamp seated and in full operative position.

I have referred to the levers as having holes or passages and have shownsaid passages as made through the levers; butit will be understood thatthe shape of the openings in the levers is immaterial so long as itserves to receive the string or lacing and support it in such mannerthat strain on that part of the string located between the lacing hookor eyelet and the lever will cause the lever to grip the string betweenitself and the body of the clamp. For instance, Fig. 9 shows a form oflever 71 wherein the opening is slotted at its side to enable the stringor lacing to be drawn into placein the lever. It will be seen that thepivotal point of the lever on or with relation to the body is at oneside of the line of draft of the string (see left of Fig. 8) as it issubjected to strain between an eyelet hook or stud and the lever, suchstrain exerted by a bight of the string or lacing about the end of thelever, causing the string or lacing to be nipped or held firmly, thegreater the strain the more firmly the clamping of the string or lacingbetween the lever and the body.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. A clamp of the class described consisting essentially of a bodypresenting at its back a rim and a pivoted lever presenting a passage atits end for a string or lacing, the free end of said lever beinginturned to cooperate with said rim and pinch or clamp said string orlacing firmly between itself and said rim when the lacing is subjectedto strain when in use.

2. A clamp of the class described, consisting essentially of a bodypresenting a depression at its back surrounded by a rim and a leverpivoted at one end at the rear side of said body, and having a hole atits other end for a lacing, the free end of said lever being inturnedand extended substantially to said rim to cooperate therewith and pinchor clamp said string or lacing firmly between itself and said rim as thelacing is strained in use.

3. A clamp of the class described, it consisting of a body and aplurality of opposed pivoted levers, each lever having a passage for thereception of a string or la'cing, said levers under the strain-of thestring or lacing acting to clamp or pinch the said string or lacingbetween itself and the rear side of the body of the clamp.

4. A lacing-clamp consisting of a body having at its rear side abackwardly-projecting rim and having an interior bridge or plate, alever pivoted to said bridge or plate at the back of said body andprovided with a passage for a lacing, said lever being extendedsubstantially diametrically across said body, the end of the leverterminating substantially at said rim, strain on the string or lacing inuse causing it to be pinched or clamped firmly between said rim and saidlever.

5. A clamp of the class described, it presenting a body and a pluralityof levers provided each with a hole at its free end and pivoted to therear side of said body and when in operative position pointingoppositely from their point of connection with said body, strain on alacing exerted from its central portion toward its end causing thelacing to be clamped between a lever and the body of the clamp.

6. A clamp of the class described, it presenting a body and a pluralityof opposed pivoted levers carried by said body, each lever having anopening to receive a string or lacing, the pivotal points of the leverswith the body be: ing at one side of the line of draft of the string orlacing on or about the levers, whereby the harder the draft the morefirmly the string or lacing may be pinched or clamped between saidlevers and said body.

7. In a shoe-lacing clamp, a body having mounted upon its backoppositely-extended levers, each provided with a passage for a lacingand adapted to be carried permanently by the lacing in the shoe, strainon the free ends of the lacing seating the clamp upon the part of theshoe to be held closed by the lacing.

8. A lacing-clamp composed of a body and a hooked lever pivoted at therear side thereof, said lever having its free end inclined toward saidbody and extended to substantially overlap the. edge of the body, saidbody substantially concealing the lever at its point of j unction withthe body, said lever'having its free end provided with an opening toreceive a string or lacing, said lever and body acting to clamp firmlybetween them the lacing when strained and extended through said opening.

9. A lacing-clamp composed of a body and a plurality of leversoppositely pivoted at the back of said body, each lever having at itsfree end an opening, said body substantially con: cealing both saidlevers, the strain of a lacing extended through the openings of thelevers and between said levers and the body causing said lacing to befirmly clamped between the back .of the body and said levers at oppositepoints, said clamp being adapted to be readily freed from the lacing byengaging opposite points of the body and lifting thelatter from its seaton the shoe.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANALDO M. ENGLISH.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. GREGORY, ALEX. C. PROUDFIT.

